Looking for an Encore Career?

Looking for an
encore career?
The guide to finding work that matters.
Brought
Made
possible to
by you by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures
Encore.org
You may be asking...
1 Now that I’m ready to get started, what should I expect?
2 What do I need to know about job hunting these days?
3 How do I prepare for the possibility of earning less money?
4 How can I update my job skills?
5 How do I finance the transition to an encore career?
6 How can I turn volunteering into a job?
7 How do I transition from a corporate job to a nonprofit one?
8 What does it take to break into health care?
9 How do I become a teacher?
10 What is a green job, and how do I get one?
11 What are the encore career opportunities in government?
12 What are the options for striking out on my own?
WELCOME Marc Freedman
You’ve probably read a lot about how exciting (energizing,
thrilling, rejuvenating) it is to start a new chapter in your
life. What you probably haven’t read much about is how
challenging it is to be between chapters.
Searching for a new job, a purpose-driven job, isn’t easy
at any age. It’s certainly not easy at, or beyond, midlife.
What exactly do you want to do now? Can you afford
to work for less? Is it worth going back to school? Will
employers be receptive to what you have to offer?
If you’re like most of the people I talk to, managing this
transition feels like a do-it-yourself project, with few
guideposts and little support. And yet you’re hardly alone.
The largest generation in American history is in transition,
moving beyond midlife to a new stage of life and work.
Tens of millions of people between the ages of 44 and
70 say they want encore careers that combine personal
meaning, continued income, and social impact.
Life spans have grown by 30 years, on average, over
the past century, but most businesses, higher education
institutions, community organizations, and government
agencies haven’t adjusted to longer working lives and
to boomers’ desire to do work that means something
beyond themselves. So while you may be ready to go,
those institutions aren’t ready to meet you halfway.
Civic Ventures’ Encore Careers campaign is working to
change that. At a time when there are so many critical
problems to solve in our education and health care
systems, in our government, in our environment, and on
our streets, we want to make sure that your experience
doesn’t go to waste.
Through the generosity of the MetLife Foundation, we’ve
been able to study what boomers need and want from
work, encourage community colleges to offer more
classes that prepare boomers for encore careers, and
shine a light on employers and other organizations that
find new ways to tap boomer talent. And, thanks to the
MetLife Foundation, we’ve been able to produce this
guide, which we hope will inspire you, get you started in
your search, provide practical tips, and help you feel a bit
less alone.
Let’s talk more at Encore.org.
Encore.org
Freedman is founder and CEO
of Civic Ventures and author of
Encore: Finding Work That Matters
in the Second Half of Life.
Now that I’m ready
to get started, what
should I expect?
“We like to think that the key to a successful career change is
knowing what we want to do next, then using that knowledge to
guide our actions,” writes Herminia Ibarra, author of Working Identity:
Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career.
“But studying people in the throes of the career change process...
led me to a startling conclusion,” Ibarra continues. “Change actually
happens the other way around. Doing comes first, knowing second.”
If you don’t know what you want to do next, don’t
panic. Ibarra advises taking action, rather than waiting
for a revelation.
What kind of action? Inspiration can lurk anywhere, she writes,
so look everywhere.
Read, network, volunteer, take a class, join a nonprofit board, mine
the experiences in your life (such as coaching a child’s sports team
or caring for aging parents), talk to people in the same situation.
“To reinvent ourselves,” Ibarra writes, “we must live through a
period of transition in which we rethink and reconfigure a multitude
of possibilities.”
In other words, it’s a transition, not a transaction.
Among the hundreds of career-change
stories people have shared on Encore.org—
a clearinghouse and online community promoting
encore careers—four basic stages have surfaced.
Job seekers explore paths they might want
to pursue; prepare through formal education or other types of
learning; find a job through networking and other tools; and connect
to their new surroundings, continuing to grow. Keep in mind, though,
progress can take a while.
“A lot of times, people come into transition and they think that
they’re doing something wrong because it’s not moving as quickly
as it should,” says Linda Mercurio, founder of Transformative
Impact, a leadership coaching and consulting practice in the
Washington, D.C., area.
It’s normal to feel that way, she says, but don’t be hard on yourself.
Remember: “This is a process.”
ON THE FRONT LINES
The good life
A career that
enriches your
sense of purpose
is part of living
the “good life,” as
life coach Richard
Leider describes it:
“living in the place
you belong, with
the people you
love, while doing
the right work on
purpose.”
41%
Leider, co-author
of Something to
Live For: Finding
Your Way in the
Second Half
of Life, says
“meaningful,
absorbing work”
aligns passion,
talent, and values.
He recommends
taking stock of
your life and
concentrating on
of Americans think they’ll be able to live comfortably when they retire,
down from 59 percent in 2002.
Gallup
areas you have
neglected. Maybe,
for you, that
means an encore
career.
“We are looking
for new maps,
new models, new
ways of thinking
and doing things,’’
Leider says.
“Everybody...
is an experiment
of one.”
profile Anne Nolan
“I love my job. You can’t
put a price on that.”
ANNE NOLAN
Anne Nolan had spent nearly 30
years working in a variety of
corporate executive jobs, but the
work didn’t excite her anymore.
When her employer folded, she took time
off and contemplated her next step. Nolan,
in her mid-50s, visited the local Travelers Aid
homeless shelter in Providence, Rhode Island.
“To find your calling in an
encore career, ask yourself:
‘What need in the world will
ignite the passions in my
heart; tap my natural gifts,
educational background, and
skills; and bring new vitality
to all of life?’”
The Rev. Sam Shafer California Episcopal
pastor who developed “Called to Serve,”
a seminar designed to help participants
identify what’s important to them
5x
Overwhelmed by the pain she saw within
its run-down walls, she knew she had found
her place.
In 2000, Nolan joined the board of directors
as a volunteer and, less than a year later,
became president of the shelter (now called
Crossroads Rhode Island), the state’s largest
provider of services to the homeless.
The job demands the managerial, financial,
fundraising, and human resources skills
Nolan had acquired during her career and
is a constant challenge. But her salary is
about half of what she used to earn. To
compensate, Nolan cut her expenses and
tapped her home equity. “I love my job,”
she says. “You can’t put a price on that.”
INFORMATION
Essential resources
Encore.org, Find Your Encore Career
encore.org/find
Idealist.org, Mid-Career Transitions Resource Center
idealist.org/en/midcareer
Bridgestar’s Bridging to the Nonprofit Sector
bridgestar.org/resources/toolkits/bridgers
AARP Crash Course in Finding the Work You Love:
The Essential Guide to Reinventing Your Life
Samuel Greengard
Strategies for Successful Career Change:
Finding Your Very Best Next Work Life
Martha E. Mangelsdorf
Change Your Career: Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector
Laura Gassner Otting
The number of workers age 55 and older is projected to grow 46.7 percent by 2016,
more than five times faster than the growth expected for the work force overall.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Encore.org
2
If you’re thinking about an encore
career that gives you the chance
to contribute to a better world,
you might begin by checking out
these web sites:
idealist.org
philanthropycareers.com
nptjobs.com
work4agoodcause.com
opportunityknocks.org
encore.org
If Internet research is new for
you, go to jobhuntersbible.com
and click on “The Internet.”
What do I need
to know about job
hunting these days?
When you’re ready to apply for jobs, you can get moving by:
Updating your resume. You may
want to begin with an objective
focusing on the kind of job you want
and how you qualify. Highlight the
skills and accomplishments of your
previous career and volunteer work
that transfer to a new job.
Refining your interview
techniques. Learn everything
you can about the place you want
to work. Practice with others.
Setting up meetings. Ask people
you know to help you arrange
informational interviews with
potential employers, so they can get
to know you. Or call hiring managers
yourself to make appointments.
(Always send a thank-you note
after an interview.)
Mastering cover letters.
Familiarize yourself with the job
description and address the main
job responsibilities, borrowing the
language the organization uses.
Following up. Managers may
get hundreds of applications
for a single job. Call or e-mail
the appropriate person at the
organization and ask whether
he or she received your materials
and whether yo u may come in for
an interview.
“No amount of
pizzazz packed
into a resume and
cover letter can
replace the value of
presenting yourself
in person.”
Steven Pascal-Joiner
Director, Idealist.org Career
Transitions Program
ON THE FRONT LINES
The Internet’s job-hunt drawbacks
There are thousands of job postings online, but the Internet isn’t the only place to look for jobs.
In his yearly updated book, What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and CareerChangers, Richard Nelson Bolles says searching job titles—as job sites do—can be faulty, partly because
different employers use various words for the same kind of work. Old job titles may not exist anymore.
Plus, many job openings never end up on the Internet.
“Sure, Internet job-matching works. Sometimes. Beautifully,” Bolles writes. “But know ahead of
time that you can’t count on it necessarily working for you. In the end, it’s a big fat gamble.”
Bolles recommends different strategies, including: asking for job leads from family, friends,
and others in your circle; knocking on doors of employers to introduce yourself and ask
about job opportunities; browsing the yellow pages to identify the fields that interest
you and calling employers listed within those subject areas.
“There are...alternative ways of looking for a job; but not all these alternatives were created
equal,” Bolles suggests. “It would pay you to know which ones are better, which ones
are less draining of your energy.”
43%
of Internet users born from 1955–1964 get job information online,
while 36 percent of users born from 1945–1954 do the same.
Pew Research Center
profile George Wolf
At 78, George Wolf needed work.
Finding encouragement from winners of the
Purpose Prize—an award recognizing social
innovators 60 and older—at a presentation
in New York, he discovered his own encore
career.
But getting to that point was a strain for
the former garment industry entrepreneur,
who left his native Czechoslovakia as a boy
to escape the Nazis during World War II.
“My resume garnered many calls, some
quite urgent. But once the in-person
interviews made my age apparent, the
excuses not to hire me were laughably
imaginative,” the New Yorker recalls.
“My resume garnered many calls,
some quite urgent. But once
the in-person interviews made
my age apparent, the excuses
not to hire me were laughably
imaginative.”
In mid-2005, Wolf saw that he couldn’t
afford to maintain his business, which
produced designer knitwear. So, for a good
part of the next four years, he looked for
a job. He landed some consulting work at
first, but it didn’t last.
GEORGE WOLF
At the 2009 Purpose Prize event, he
learned about ReServe, which links retirees
with paid jobs at nonprofits and public
agencies. Through that organization,
he connected with a small Jewish charity,
The Blue Card, which needed help.
“The budget of The Blue Card was
minuscule, but so were my needs,” explains
Wolf, who accepted a part-time public
relations and marketing job there at age
81. “And with my interest in helping older
adults in need, my background in business,
and my familiarity with the Holocaust,
it was a perfect match.”
INFORMATION
Essential resources
Monster’s Career Advice Guide
career-advice.monster.com
Change.org’s Jobs for Change
jobs.change.org
Quintessential Careers:
I am a Career-Changer
quintcareers.com/career-changer.html
The Nonprofit Career Guide:
How to Land a Job That Makes
a Difference Shelly Cryer
job-interview.net
Interview Downloads
job-interview.net/interview.htm
Real-Resumes for Jobs in
Nonprofit Organizations
Anne McKinney
11
Boomers’ Job Search Guide:
You’re Not Old; You’re Experienced
Saundra Marling and Jill Pfaff Waterbury
Finding a Job after 50: Reinvent
Yourself for the 21st Century
Jeannette Woodward
Workers born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 11 jobs from ages 18 to 42.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Encore.org
3
How do I prepare
for the possibility of
earning less money?
Who doesn’t need more cash?
Otting offers these suggestions:
Maybe you. For some, a fat paycheck doesn’t necessarily bring a fat
payoff. It may not fulfill, inspire, or move you. A job with meaning can
eclipse money. The rewards are different.
Determine your readiness factor. House paid off? Kids in college?
Assess your standing and commitments. Can you afford to make less?
“Money may or may not be on the list of values where it used to sit,”
says Sue Aiken, a career coach. “You have to feel like you’re still viable,
useful, that you’re engaged in something that matters.”
But let’s face it, making less requires
a change in attitude and outlook. “An
unfortunate byproduct of a market-driven
economy is that we live in a society
where self-value is often derived from
what someone else thinks we should
earn,” writes Laura Gassner Otting in
Change Your Career: Transitioning to the
Nonprofit Sector.
“You need to separate your own selfvalue from the number of zeroes printed
on your paycheck.”
Learn to value the intangibles. There is no direct correlation between
your salary and your worth to society. In your new work, you may save
spotted owls, teach a child to read, or otherwise help improve lives.
Change your lifestyle. Trim your expenses, including eating at
restaurants or shopping for frills.
Don’t settle for less. Seek work that will help you live comfortably.
If jobs in the nonprofit sector pay less than you can afford to make, for
example, consider businesses with socially responsible missions.
Not everyone is good at budgeting. To hone your cash flow projection,
consult an impartial financial planner, not someone who sells financial
products and not a friend or family member, Aiken recommends.
After examining your financial picture, you may see it’s not the right time
to switch careers. Maybe you’re responsible for both your kids and your
parents. Maybe you’re just not ready to let go of your indulgences. For
whatever reason, it could be a struggle to reduce your spending now.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Nonprofit compensation
Bridgestar, a program that helps nonprofits attract leaders, often fields questions about compensation for workers moving from the corporate
to nonprofit sector—“bridgers.” Karen DeMay, Bridgestar’s regional director of talent and recruiting, addresses some common inquiries:
What can bridgers expect to earn when
they move into the nonprofit sector?
Most people moving into the nonprofit
sector expect to make less money.
Executives in the nonprofit world tend
to make less than for-profit executives
with similar jobs or experience. But, like
the for-profit sector, the nonprofit sector
encompasses an enormous range of
compensation levels, even within a given
position or domain.
82%
How can bridgers figure out whether they
can make a salary they can live with in the
nonprofit sector?
Start by taking stock of your existing
compensation package, including all of its
components. Most people think of salary
and bonus first and need to be prompted
before considering health, dental, and
vision insurance; retirement plan; discounts;
transportation subsidies; and the many other
elements these packages may include.
What are some of the specific factors
that determine a nonprofit salary?
Key factors to look at include the role and
its responsibilities; any required experience,
education, and certifications; the size of
the organization; the geographic location;
and the overall compensation structure and
traditions of the organization.
For more of DeMay’s interview go to:
bridgestar.org/resources/library/explore
of participants in an informal poll said they would take a pay cut
for the job of their dreams.
Monster.com
profile Lupe Salas
Getting ready to move to a different
state, Lupe Salas kept it simple.
She gave away her furniture and
anything else she didn’t need.
She had made a nice living as a real estate
agent and broker in California but realized
her life could be more fulfilling without much
material wealth. The Mexico native decided
to move back to her adopted home state of
Arizona in 1998.
“You have to be a little fearless,” Salas says.
“I was a loan officer, and I was making pretty
good money. My family thought I was a little
crazy that I wanted to come back to Arizona
not knowing what I wanted to do.”
Salas, who had been a teacher before
entering real estate, hoped to get back to
education or perform some kind of social
work. She spent several years trying to
figure out her path, along the way working
for programs helping women, children, and
families in need.
In 2007, she attended a job fair run by the
Tucson-based Mature Worker Connection,
a free job placement service for people 50
and older. She landed a job with the outfit
and later joined the staff of its sponsor, the
Pima Council on Aging.
Salas, now 66, works 25 hours a week as an
elder outreach advocate, providing support
and education to older adults on anything
from housing to legal issues to Social
Security benefits.
“I love it,” says Salas, who has no plans to
retire soon. “I am being of service, and I feel
that people appreciate me.”
She says adjusting to making less money
wasn’t that hard. At that time in her life, it
felt right.
Salas advises those considering a lower
salary for a worthwhile career not to stress
about money: “Worry more about what you
enjoy doing, what you wanted to do all your
life but hadn’t.”
INFORMATION
Essential resources
AARP’s Money Tools
aarp.org/money/money_tools/
Kiplinger’s The Basics of Money
kiplinger.com/basics
Work Less, Live More:
The Way to Semi-Retirement
Bob Clyatt
The Budget Kit: The Common
Cents Money Management
Workbook
Judy Lawrence
Escape the Mid-Career Doldrums:
What to Do Next When You’re
Bored, Burned Out, Retired,
or Fired
Marcia L. Worthing and
Charles A. Buck
“Your values are the things that matter most to you in your life and can’t be placed
on a back burner for the sake of your career. They will certainly have an impact on
the choice you make about your job.”
Susan D. Strayer author, The Right Job, Right Now: The Complete Toolkit for Finding Your Perfect Career
30%
of survey respondents age 55 to 64 classified themselves as “career re-inventors”
pursuing a long-standing passion or interest.
Career College Association
Encore.org
4
How can I update
my job skills?
Community colleges can be a terrific option. Adults
looking for flexibility and value may find both at
two-year colleges.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, “The humble community college
is turning out to be one of the best resources for older adults seeking
new directions—and new jobs—in later life.”
Typically, the schools provide:
• flexible hours—night and weekend classes
• part-time course loads
• online classes
• credit for work experience
• technology support
• abbreviated courses
• certificate programs.
Two-year colleges recognize the value in accommodating boomers.
“The numbers tell the story,” says Norma Kent (pictured above),
spokeswoman for the American Association of Community Colleges.
“There are 78 million individuals in this population and many of them
are reaching what used to be retirement age.
“All the studies we have read say that if we lose the resource that
these individuals represent, whether in work or service, it is going
to be a tremendous loss to our economy and our society.”
Community colleges looking to attract midlifers are offering:
Fast-track options. Virginia’s community college system developed
EducateVA, a program that accelerates teacher training. It’s available to
anyone with a four-year degree and at least five years of employment
history. In 16 weeks, graduates can earn a one-year provisional license
that allows them to start teaching while finishing coursework online
anytime and on Saturdays in person.
Short applications. California’s Coastline Community College turned
a long application process into a single-page document for prospective
gerontology students.
Career counseling. Florida’s Broward College recognized a dilemma
facing many adults thinking about a new career: They don’t know
where to start. So Broward set up a free career counseling course to
help adults 50 and older explore their options and plan. If your local
community college isn’t accommodating boomers, Kent advises
assertiveness. “If I were interested, I would call up my local community
college and ask, ‘What are you doing to meet my needs?’”
GETTING READY
Another path to the next stage
Seeing a demand among encore
career-seekers, four-year colleges are
developing or deepening programs to
retrain and reinvigorate.
Harvard University has established the
Advanced Leadership Initiative, which
trains fellows for “next stage work:
starting a foundation, a campaign for a
cause, a social enterprise, or public office
with the potential for big impact on a
major social problem.”
40+
The first fellowships began in 2009 with
14 participants, including leaders in
military, business, and medical fields.
Reaching retirement age “is only the start
of a whole period of life that for many
people has no content,” says Harvard
professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, one of
the initiative’s creators. “We now have
a stage of life that stands there to be
invented.”
There’s a growing movement among fouryear schools to help potential students at all
levels reach new, worthwhile career goals,
says Mary Beth Lakin, associate director for
special projects at the American Council on
Education’s Center for Lifelong Learning.
But finding such programs can be tricky
for the consumer.
“There’s not necessarily a big sign on
the door,” Lakin says. She recommends
contacting local schools to see what
they offer.
Of the 11.5 million students enrolled in community colleges as of the 2007–2008 school year,
16 percent were 40 or older.
American Association of Community Colleges
profile Chuck Spayne
“It was a good
place to work.
I thought I
would retire
there.”
CHUCK SPAYNE
Chuck Spayne got an April Fools’ Day surprise that was
no joke.
money. He figured out on his own how to affix the panels and realized
he had a talent for it.
His employer, Intel Corp., laid him off after he had worked there for
27 years, mainly fixing and installing heating and cooling equipment.
But “when state and federal incentives went away, so did solar,”
Spayne says. The demand evaporated.
“It was a good place to work,” says Spayne, 59. “I thought I would
retire there.”
As energy efficiency becomes a priority for homeowners, businesses,
and government, Spayne sees opportunity once again in solar panels.
After a humbling couple of months looking for another job—getting no
response from potential employers—Spayne turned to a community
college to build on past experience to refresh his skills.
He took a $2,500, two-week course at California’s Ohlone College,
during which he learned about installing modern solar panels. One of
his instructors asked whether Spayne would be interested in a more
intensive class in the fall and the prospect of using his knowledge to
help teach inner-city youth about the trade.
In the 1980s, Spayne ran his own side business installing solar panels
for residential heating of water and air. The venture grew from
tinkering at his own home. He had a pool he wanted to heat with
solar power, which would also warm his home in the winter and save
Spayne hopes the additional training will lead to a job. “I think solar is
the next new thing,” he says. “It’s going to catch on.”
INFORMATION
Essential resources
American Association of
Community Colleges’ Community
College Finder
www.aacc.nche.edu/pages/ccfinder.
aspx
Osher Lifelong Learning
Institutes
usm.maine.edu/olli/national
National Center for Education
Statistics’ College Navigator
nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Going
Back to College Dolores A. Mize
The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival
& Success Al Siebert and Mary Karr
New Beginnings: A Reference Guide
for Adult Learners Linda Simon
“People can be kind of snooty about community colleges, but the schools are flexible and ready
to go. Community colleges cost less to attend, are more accessible, and are focused on where
the jobs really are.”
Judy Goggin vice president, Civic Ventures
Encore.org
5
How do I finance
the transition to
an encore career?
mortgage, which provides you with monthly
income by drawing from the equity in your
home. Be careful; there are downsides.
The break between your midlife work and
your encore career can last a weekend or
several years. Taking time to prepare for the
work you want is an investment in yourself.
The reward is a job you love.
Retirement savings plans. You may
be able to borrow from your 401(k) for
education costs, though most financial
advisers discourage the practice.
Withdrawals from individual retirement
accounts before age 59 ½ for education
expenses are exempt from the 10-percent
early distribution penalty.
So how do you cover the cost of
that investment? Savings are a
start, but there are alternatives,
including:
National service. Federal programs,
including the Peace Corps and
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in
Service to America), can help you
prepare for a new career at a nonprofit
organization or government agency. Most
service programs offer a modest stipend,
health care, and a tuition award.
Employer tuition benefits. Some
companies help subsidize encore transitions.
For example, IBM’s Transition to Teaching
defrays employees’ costs of schooling and
teacher certification up to $15,000.
Student loans. Financial counselors suggest
seeking federal loans and other federal aid
before searching the private loan market.
Typically, federal loans offer more favorable
rates and terms. To apply, you must fill out a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid form
at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
The federal government may clear a portion
of your federal school loans through this
program if you work for 10 years in public
safety, health, education, or the nonprofit
sector.
Workforce Investment Act. This federal
law provides for retraining help under
certain circumstances to laid-off workers.
Find your local one-stop career center—
where you can file for such benefits—
at servicelocator.org.
Reverse mortgages. If you are at least
62 and own your home (or have a low
mortgage), you may qualify for a reverse
If you have time to plan ahead, a 529
college savings plan (named after the
federal tax code) may help. They’re not
ju st for college kids; you can open one at
any age for your own use. The plans allow
you to withdraw investments tax-free, as
long as you spend the proceeds on higher
education expenses.
The longer you plan to stay in your encore
career—and the higher the income you
expect to earn—the more time and money
you can invest in your transition. A financial
planner can help you weigh the risks and
rewards.
For tips on finding a financial adviser, refer
to The Wall Street Journal’s Complete
Retirement Guidebook: How to Plan It,
Live It and Enjoy It, by Glenn Ruffenach
and Kelly Greene.
“Workers must understand the connection between remaining in the workforce and their security in retirement.
And they must understand this connection well before the cusp of retirement so they can make the investments
in skills and relationships that will allow them to extend their careers.”
From Working Longer: The Solution to the Retirement Income Challenge Alicia H. Munnell and Steven A. Sass
$2,402
The average published tuition and fees at public,
two-year colleges for the 2008–2009 school year.
College Board
profile Jan Albert
When the housing market tanked, Jan Albert lost her real estate job but
found her calling.
At first, she signed up with California’s unemployment program, and with her newfound time,
got more involved in taking care of her aging parents.
“Parts of their life were a mess,” says Albert, 56, who had earned a bachelor’s degree in social
work 30 years earlier. “But the more I helped to get things in order, the more I liked it. I found
I had a knack and the patience for it.”
So, with the help of her unemployment benefits, Albert enrolled in the gerontology program
at Coastline Community College in Fountain Valley, California. She had to
cover her tuition for the three semesters she attended, around $900.
“I like to be on the
front lines and
A government program (funded through the Workforce Investment Act)
finding out what
paid for her books, roughly another $900.
our clients need.”
JAN ALBERT
“To go to community college was a lot less than I thought it would be,”
Albert says.
Then inspiration struck. Albert and her sister decided to launch a business, 24 Hour Angels,
to place caregivers in clients’ homes for general assistance, from light housekeeping to help
with bathing.
Albert’s commitment and persistence has led her to a rewarding encore career.
“I love working with the people,” she says. “I like to be on the front lines and finding out
what our clients need.”
22%
of graduate students received tuition aid from
their employers for the 2007–2008 school year.
U.S. Department of Education
Encore.org
INFORMATION
Essential resources
Edamerica’s Going Back to
College Guide edamerica.net/
planforcollege/goingbacktocollege
FinAid’s Guide to Financial Aid
for Older and Nontraditional
Students finaid.org/otheraid/
nontraditional.phtml
Corporation for National and
Community Service, Overview
– For Individuals nationalservice.
gov/for_individuals/overview
The Reverse Mortgage Book:
Everything You Need to Know
Explained Simply Cindy Holcomb
The Busy Adult’s Guide to
Making College Happen!
The Step-by-Step Guide to
Finding the Time, Money, and
Motivation to Complete Your
College Degree Geoffrey Schmidt
501 Ways for Adult Students
to Pay for College: Going Back
to School Without Going Broke
Gen and Kelly Tanabe
6
How can I turn
volunteering
into a job?
Volunteering can help you focus your career search in several ways. It gives you the chance
to explore different causes, see the inner workings of nonprofits, try out different roles, build
experience, and make connections—including job references.
If you have a long-term relationship with a particular organization, hiring managers there might
look to you when they have openings.
“Volunteers or interns are frequently the first people considered,
because it’s already apparent whether they will fit well, have a good
work ethic, and meet the qualifications of the job,” writes Steven
Pascal-Joiner and Meg Busse in The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit
Careers for Sector Switchers—idealist.org/en/career/guide/
sectorswitcher
If you have a history of volunteering for several
organizations, you can demonstrate to a potential
employer—through your resume and in person—
that you’re serious about nonprofit work.
But make sure you’re committed to serving.
Consider these steps:
Find volunteer work
in an area that moves you.
Offer your expertise
with a willingness to stretch into
less familiar territory.
Show your range
Move among several volunteer jobs.
Make yourself indispensable
Take on more responsibility.
Identify an organizational need
and make a plan to tackle it.
Incorporate your volunteer work
into your resume.
Pascal-Joiner and Busse advise against volunteering just because you
think it will lead to a job. It might not: “There are always more volunteers than available positions.
Your passion for the cause and desire to learn more should be your primary motivation.”
You may start by giving your time to an issue and organization that matters to you. Think about
how the experience might bring you success in the job market.
INCENTIVES
Volunteer rewards
The Serve America Act, passed in 2009, provides two new incentives for adults 55 and older to volunteer:
People over 55 who provide at least
350 hours of service to any accredited
community organization will earn a $1,000
Silver Scholarship, which volunteers may
spend on career training or transfer to
children or grandchildren.
Midlifers who participate in an AmeriCorps
program for a year and earn a $5,000
education award will now be able to use
that money for their own education
or transfer it to their children or
grandchildren.
For more about the Serve America Act, visit: nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica
26%
About 62 million people—more than one quarter of the U.S. population—
volunteered at least once between September 2007 and September 2008.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
profile Michael Burke
INFORMATION
Essential resources
Check out these organizations
for volunteer opportunities:
VolunteerMatch is a top
Internet recruiting tool for
more than 65,000 nonprofits
seeking volunteers.
volunteermatch.org
When arthritis forced Baltimore chef Michael Burke to end his career of nearly
20 years, he signed on with Experience Corps—a national, nonprofit program that
pairs volunteers with elementary school students for tutoring and mentoring.
“Kitchens and restaurants can be chaotic places,” says Burke, now in his mid-50s. “I wanted a change.”
And he hoped to feed a longstanding passion for enriching children’s lives. He had routinely
given Sunday morning children’s sermons at his church. He had also built a reputation among
neighborhood kids—who respectfully call him “Mr. Mike”—as someone who looks out for them.
Burke believes children need adults to guide them so the youngsters don’t turn mischievous
behavior into “terrible other things.” When he sees kids acting up in the neighborhood or at
church, he takes them aside to talk about manners and respect. He says he does it to show
that “somebody cares and loves them.”
Experience Corps gave Burke the chance to expand his mentoring. He began helping elementary
school students with reading skills. He also started volunteering in the Experience Corps office,
filing papers. In his spare time, he took courses in typing, English, computer basics, and office
technology.
Within about three years, the managers at Experience Corps Baltimore City—noting Burke’s
commitment and skills—offered him a paying job as a program assistant. Volunteering was
“the best training I could have had for a new career,” Burke says.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Make an impression
The Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee offers these tips on how to be
a great volunteer:
•Be loyal to the
mission of the
organization.
•Be open to change.
•Find ways to be
helpful.
•Share skills,
energy, and
enthusiasm.
•Communicate
your needs and
concerns.
•Ask questions
and keep learning
about the
organization.
•Be realistic about
the time you have
to volunteer.
•Take commitment
seriously. Keep
appointments and
schedules, or call
ahead to make
any necessary
adjustments.
The Corporation for National
and Community Service,
a federal agency, runs AmeriCorps
and other federally sponsored
service programs. The Serve
America Act authorizes 10
new Encore Fellowships—paid
internships for people 55 and
older—at nonprofits in each state.
nationalservice.gov and serve.gov
boardnetUSA helps volunteers
find nonprofit boards of
directors on which to serve.
boardnetusa.org
HandsOn Network has
250 centers nationally to
help connect volunteers to
meaningful service opportunities.
handsonnetwork.org
Experience Corps operates in
more than 20 cities across the
country—recruiting, training,
and placing volunteers in schools.
Research shows that students
with Experience Corps tutors
make 60 percent more progress
in reading comprehension skills
than students not enrolled in
the program.
experiencecorps.org
The Taproot Foundation
matches pro bono consulting
teams with nonprofits. Volunteers
donate three to five hours a week
on a six-month, pro bono project.
Offices serve San Francisco,
New York City, Chicago, Seattle,
Washington, D.C., and Boston.
taprootfoundation.org
“About 12 percent to 15 percent of professional jobs are in the nonprofit sector. Almost all the people
who work in those jobs began as volunteers. It’s like baseball’s farm team system. You can check out
an employer, and they can check you out.”
Steve Vetter former Peace Corps volunteer, now CEO of Partners of the Americas
Encore.org
How do I transition
from a corporate job
to a nonprofit one?
something in your personal life inspired devotion
to a particular issue or cause? Check out:
encore.org/find/advice/online-tools-help-you
Crossing sectors can take some doing.
Career counselors offer this practical advice
for those who want to make the change.
Learn about the nonprofit world.
Look up organizations that appeal to
you on the Web, and talk to volunteers
or others who work there. Explore the
differences (and similarities) between the
business and nonprofit sectors in Good to
Great and the Social Sectors, by Jim Collins.
Get some experience and demonstrate
commitment in the nonprofit world. You can begin
as a volunteer, fundraiser, event worker, or member of a
nonprofit board.
Assess your skills and interests and their value in a nonprofit
career. Do you have experience creating a positive work environment,
managing employees, or solving other workplace issues? Has
Connect your experiences with the
organization’s goals. Have a clear idea about how
you can help the nonprofit you have in mind fulfill
its mission. Be sure to show a high degree of
respect for the work—and complexity—of the
nonprofit world. Express your business savvy as an
asset, and promote your willingness to adapt your
style to the nonprofit’s needs.
Tailor your resume and cover letter to the organization
and position you are pursuing. Stress how your corporate experience
can provide unique value for the organization, highlighting abilities
and responsibilities that have prepared you for nonprofit work.
Provide insight into your motivations—explaining why you’re eager
to work on the issue at hand.
“Be very humble about the corporate experience
you bring. Always ensure that you understand the
context in which things are done before judging.”
Lyle Hurst former corporate executive who started his encore
career at Partners in School Innovation, an education nonprofit
in the San Francisco Bay Area
5.9%
In 1994, U.S. nonprofits employed 5.4 million people, or 4.4 percent of all workers.
By 2007, 8.7 million people worked for nonprofits—that’s 5.9 percent of all employees.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
profile Scott Kariya
“I was good
at every job
I ever had—
except
retirement.”
After retiring at 50, Scott Kariya
found himself analyzing his hobbies
and interests to find a clear career
choice.
Nothing took hold until he read a newspaper
article about an organization that sounded
perfect for him: ReServe. He called the group,
which matches experienced adults with part
time, paid work at local nonprofits in the New
York City area. But there were no job openings
that interested him.
SCOTT KARIYA
Kariya pivoted quickly and in the same phone
conversation sold ReServe on the idea that
his professional background would help the
organization make more matches. ReServe
agreed to a trial run, and now Kariya’s working
part time in the main office.
“As a job searcher, you have to anticipate what
you think an organization or industry might need
and how you might play a role,” he says.
“Corporate sector workers can do so much
good for nonprofits,” according to Kariya. “It just
galls me to think that there are so many valuable
skills that people have that are not being used.”
EXPERIENCE SAYS
BOOK SMART
INFORMATION
Learn, listen, understand
Making your move
Essential resources
With more than 25 years of work
experience, many as a corporate marketing
executive, Louise Smith is making her
next move.
Does your career leave you stressed
out, burned out, or just plain bummed
out? You’re not alone. Career expert
and corporate escapee Pamela Skillings
offers Escape from Corporate America,
inspiring the
cubicle-bound
and the corneroffice-cornered
to break free and
create the career
of their dreams—
without going
broke.
In 2009, she became an Encore Fellow at
the nonprofit Community School of Music
and Arts in California’s Silicon Valley, one of
the 10 largest community schools for the
arts in the nation. Smith is helping to drive
the school’s new marketing plan.
With nonprofits, she says, it’s important to:
•Deeply learn the mission—not
just what it is, but what it means to
and for everyone involved.
•Listen, ask, consider, offer your
opinion—in that order.
•Understand the decision-making
process, then adjust your skills and
outlook accordingly. It may seem clear to
you that the organization could improve
its methods, but recognize that change
probably will happen gradually.
For more information on Encore Fellowships:
encore.org/about#encore fellowships
27%
The Idealist Guide to
Nonprofit Careers for
Sector Switchers
idealist.org/en/career/guide/
sectorswitcher/index.html
Change Your Career:
Transitioning to the
Nonprofit Sector
Laura Gassner Otting
nonprofitprofessionals.com
Bridgestar’s Guide to Shifting
to the Nonprofit Sector
bridgestar.org/resources/toolkits/
bridgers
of workers change occupations after their early
or mid-50s.
AARP
Encore.org
8
What does it take to
break into health care?
While many sectors of the economy are shrinking, health care is
growing. And the industry is expected to expand dramatically during
the next 20 years as boomers age and increase demand.
Stock suggests starting your search with the
American Medical Association’s Health
Care Careers Directory.
The health care industry is on track to open 3 million new jobs in the
period from 2006 to 2016—a 22-percent increase.
The publication—online at
ama-assn.org/go/alliedhealth—
explores 81 careers, their job
responsibilities, salary averages,
and educational requirements.
Bottom line: It’s a good time to explore a health care
career.
“You have a lot to think about, because there are so many types
of health care jobs,” says Debra Stock, vice president of member
relations at the American Hospital Association.
Positions are open for nurses, physician assistants, audiologists,
physical trainers, and dieticians, to name a few. Health care also
offers various settings: hospitals, nursing homes, schools, sports
organizations, pharmacies, and other environments.
After you have a sense of what you’d
like to do:
Talk to others in the field. If you don’t know
anyone personally, ask around or contact professional
associations that may put you in touch with members. Another
option: Post questions to online message boards related to your
profession of interest.
Determine your commitment level. A career in the health
field usually takes some type of certification or training. Becoming
a registered nurse, for example, could take between one and four
years full time, depending on your previous course work and the
pace of the program.
EARNING POWER
U.S. Bureau of Labor Wage Estimates
Annual income (in 2008) Dollars in thousands
Look at area colleges. See what nearby community and fouryear colleges offer and ask whether the training options will fulfill
your state’s requirements.
55
50
Check program availability. Many nursing programs, for
example, have waiting lists. If your local college has one, consider
adding your name and taking general education courses in the
meantime. Or you may train in a related health care occupation
(technician, aide, etc.) and continue to pursue your long-term
goal.
45
40
35
30
25
20
$65,840
Accountants/
Auditors
$65,130 $63,840 $51,470 $54,390 $48,790 $47,560
Registered
Nurses
Police
Detectives
Dieticians/
Nutritionists
High School
Teachers
$31,980
Consider how you will pay for the training. Do you have
savings or an individual retirement account? Will you need
student loans? (See Question 5: How do I finance the transition
to an encore career?)
Medical/Public Health
EMTs/
Social Workers
Paralegals
Paramedics
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008
Workers over 50 “are reliable, committed, loyal, and methodical, which
is especially important in health care, because it results in fewer errors.”
Darlene Stone vice president of human resources, Central Florida Health Alliance
profile Jacquelyn Khan
As she approached retirement age,
Jacquelyn Khan realized she should
have left her job sooner.
Three decades investigating student
absences for Detroit public schools had
drained her. More and more, she thought:
“I’ve got to get out. This is really killing me.”
“I really feel that
you start to die
when you start
to step back
from life.”
JACQUELYN KHAN
Khan had always been interested in health
and nutrition. She got it from her mother, a
licensed practical nurse. Khan hoped to carry
on the tradition while challenging herself.
Years earlier, Khan had earned a bachelor’s
degree in sociology and a master’s degree in
counseling, but she needed new expertise.
While still working for the Detroit schools,
she took prerequisite courses for a nursing
program at her local community college. She
started the program a week before retiring
from the school system in 1999.
Since earning her associate’s degree, Khan
has been a critical care nurse at a Detroit
PHOTO BY ALEX HARRIS
“I wanted something that was going to keep
me on my toes,” says Khan, now 68. “I really
feel that you start to die when you start to
step back from life, when you stop going full
speed.”
hospital, earned her bachelor’s degree, and
worked as a home health nurse. She now picks
up hospital shifts through a nursing agency,
typically working two 12-hour days a week.
The flexibility allows her to spend winters
in Florida.
Khan admits that chronic understaffing
can make nursing unpleasant sometimes.
But she still loves her work, because
it keeps her moving, learning, and
interacting. “You have to be extremely
flexible,” she says, “but it is rewarding.”
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
INFORMATION
Making the transition
Essential resources
Martha Koelemay, 66, is a registered nurse in Pine Ridge, Arkansas.
She became a paramedic in her 40s and took additional courses in her
50s to become a registered nurse. Since graduating, she’s worked in an
emergency room, a psychiatric ward, and in private homes. Now, she’s a
night shift nurse in a rural hospital’s intensive care unit.
How did you juggle
work, school, and
family?
I applied for nursing
school, got in and
kept working. I had
the advantage of
being by myself with
my kids grown. I could
come and go, and
I could work weird
hours. I was stressed,
and I was exhausted.
But it was only two
years.
How did your work
experiences prepare
you for being a
hospital nurse?
In the ambulance I
had all the emergency
skills, but the day-today care of patients
was new to me. In
home health, you go
to people’s homes and
do maintenance and
watch for red flags.
When I went to the
hospital, I did in-depth
patient care, and it was
a nice blend with my
emergency and home
health background.
Were there
advantages to
becoming a nurse
later in life?
I had been places and
done things and been
exposed to things that
[the younger nurses]
hadn’t. I had seen old
people die, you know,
aging grandparents.
And I think it just
made me a better
nurse that I was older
and lived a good bit
of my life before I
became a nurse.
NursingLink’s Guide to Starting a Nursing Career
nursinglink.com/benefits
U.S. Department of Labor’s Career Voyages
careervoyages.gov/healthcare-main.cfm
ExploreHealthCareers.org — Introduction to Health
Professions explorehealthcareers.org
Field Guides to Finding a New Career: Health Care
S.J. Stratford
Career Opportunities in Health Care Shelly Field
Careers in Health Care: WetFeet Insider Guide
WetFeet
22%
Encore.org
The increase of new health carerelated jobs in the period from
2006 to 2016.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
9
How do I become
a teacher?
You can start with some simple arithmetic:
Calculate whether you can afford the time
and money involved to train.
Across the country, accelerated teacher certification
programs—typically based in colleges—can have you
teaching in one or two years if you have a bachelor’s
degree. Depending on your flexibility, you might even
be able to keep your full- or part-time
job while earning your credentials.
Wylie Schwieder, right, jumped on
the fast track through EducateVA, a
program of the Virginia community
college system for career switchers who want to transition to
teaching. The former corporate manager, who eventually became
a math teacher, appreciated the pace.
“It’s easy, and it makes sense,” Schwieder says. “It’s like dominoes
falling into place.”
The emergence of accelerated programs is partly related to
demographics and an ongoing teacher shortage. More than half of
the country’s teachers—1.7 million—are boomers who will retire
in waves, according to the National Commission on Teaching and
America’s Future.
If you want to help counterbalance the exodus, the
training may cost you anywhere from a few thousand
dollars to more than $15,000. You may qualify for
federal and state grants and loan forgiveness programs
that often require you to teach for a certain number
of years. School districts affiliated with the certification
programs may help, too.
Prospective students “should be looking for at
least a yearlong program that involves more
than half of that time working with students
alongside accomplished teachers,”
advises Thomas Carroll, president
of the National Commission on
Teaching and America’s Future.
When considering a program, Carroll says, check for how many career
changers it has served, how many graduates land in teaching positions,
and how much mentoring and coaching it offers.
“If I’m a midcareer changer, [I’d want] a pathway that gives me lots of
experience in the kind of classroom I want to teach in,” Carroll says.
In other words, training at high-achieving schools is unlikely to orient
you for teaching in low-performing ones, where the need is greatest.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Preparing for classroom survival
Most jobs don’t prepare you for leading a
classroom of 20-plus teenagers or a bunch
of 8-year-olds.
about qualifications from your local school
district. You may need to have a bachelor’s
degree and take an aptitude test.
While your skills and expertise may transfer
to a teaching career, understanding the
unique environment of a classroom can be
tough.
Many volunteer programs can also help you see
how you fare in a classroom. Some examples:
One of the best ways to figure out whether
teaching suits you is to try it out. If you’re
interested in substitute teaching, find out
Experience Corps matches older adults with
at-risk kids for mentoring and literacy tutoring.
experiencecorps.org
Citizen Schools arranges for volunteers
to work on school-based projects that draw
from the volunteer’s field of expertise.
citizenschools.org
Principal for a Day programs give
community members a chance to see what
it’s like to be a school administrator for a day.
(Check with your local school system.)
Read Across America is a National
Education Association yearly event. The
March 2 volunteer opportunity, which
marks the birthday of children’s author
Dr. Seuss, encourages visiting schools to
read to students.
nea.org/readacross
profile Julie Greene
INFORMATION
Essential resources
“I have wonderful colleagues.
I am energized by the students.”
U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Teacher:
What Is This Job Like?
bls.gov/k12/help01.htm
PHOTO COURTESY COLLIN COLLEGE/NICK YOUNG, PHOTOGRAPHER
JULIE GREENE
After several years as a stay-at-home mom, Julie Greene wanted to get back to
paying work. But she didn’t want to go back to marketing.
Greene, who had come from a family of teachers,
felt discouraged by American students’ lagging
performance in science and math. So she took
her respect for the teaching profession and joy
of learning and set out to become a teacher at
age 48.
“I did not want a job for which I had to sacrifice
time with my daughter,” she says. “The corporate
world was no longer the right place for me.”
Building on mathematics classes she had taken
over the years, Greene enrolled in a fast-track
certification program at Collin College, outside
Dallas. She took classes three days a week for a
semester and spent the second semester student
teaching at Wakeland High School in Frisco, Texas.
“The student-teaching experience was
invaluable,” she says. “It was on-the-job training
and a great networking opportunity.”
Greene earned her certificate in May 2008
and by August joined Wakeland’s staff to teach
geometry. “Teenagers are frustrating, fun,
and inspiring all in one,” she says. “Never a dull
moment.”
Greene says she enjoys the work and
appreciates having a paycheck again, even if
it’s less than what she used to earn. And her
schedule matches her daughter’s—a huge plus.
“I have wonderful colleagues. I am energized by
the students,” she says. “I believe the students
benefit from my knowledge of math and
my experience.”
American Federation of
Teachers, Loan Forgiveness
Programs by State
aft.org/tools4teachers/
loan-forgiveness.htm
National Center for
Alternative Certification,
Search for Alternate
Routes to Teaching
teach-now.org
EnCorps Teachers Program
Designed for midlife career
changers, this California initiative
helps enrollees earn credentials
to teach math or science.
encorpsteachers.org
American Board for
Certification of Teacher
Excellence This organization
assists participants with
certification in nine states—
Florida, Idaho, Mississippi,
Missouri, New Hampshire,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Utah, and Oklahoma—and
helps graduates find jobs.
abcte.org
Troops to Teachers
Military personnel may
receive financial assistance and
coaching to become teachers
through this federal program.
proudtoserveagain.com
“I truly believe that second-career teachers are the ones who are going to change
the face of public education. These are people who have valuable experience and
really want to come back and make a difference.”
Rebecca Waters program manager, EducateVA, a Virginia community college system career-switcher program
42%
of college-educated 24- to 60-year-olds would consider teaching as a second career.
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Encore.org
10
The increasingly popular phrases “green job” and “greencollar job” refer to any work that contributes to improving
environmental quality. And despite the economic slump,
the number of green jobs is growing.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known
as the stimulus package, includes billions of dollars to
support energy efficiency activities nationwide.
This public-private effort to transition to
protect the planet is driving a new industry.
Among the opportunities: weatherizing, or
protecting houses and buildings from the
elements; retrofitting old windows, pipes,
and lighting to promote energy efficiency;
and installing systems that harness energy
from the sun and wind.
There’s also need for workers—including lawyers, financiers,
planners, and accountants—who have valuable experience
across industries.
For example, a manager could become a sustainability
director, a job in high demand in government, business, and
universities, according to Kevin Doyle, president of Green
Economy, a Boston-area consulting and training firm. Typical
responsibilities include setting goals to reduce an institution’s
harmful emissions, reducing waste, and conserving water.
“In these institutions, sustainability managers are often
hired more for their leadership and communication abilities
than for any detailed knowledge of technical sustainability
practices,” Doyle says.
37
What is a green
job, and how
do I get one?
For a budding green career,
consider:
Taking classes. Find out
what local community
or four-year colleges
offer. Or, you can
search for businesses
and organizations
that offer training,
both in person and online.
For example, the nonprofit
Solar Energy International
runs workshops in several
green areas, including
sustainable building,
solar electricity, and
renewable fuels.
solarenergy.org
Get certified. A LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
credential qualifies you to verify that building design and construction
promote energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions
reduction, and improved indoor environmental quality.
usgbc.org/leed
Attend green conferences. For upcoming meetings, check area
community or four-year colleges or environmental groups. Identify
speakers who interest you, and then begin to network like crazy.
Use your current skills. Experienced electricians, building engineers,
and shop teachers, for example, are in demand to train and advise young
people eager for entry-level green jobs.
Get your hands dirty. Try out different volunteer roles with
environmentally friendly groups and see what you enjoy. Your service
will link you to people in the industry who may lead you to a job.
Number, in millions, of U.S. green jobs estimated for 2030, up from 9 million in 2007.
American Solar Energy Society
profile Judi Henderson-Townsend
Judi Henderson-Townsend didn’t start
out thinking green.
She jokes that while she may live in the
San Francisco Bay Area, she’s never been
a “save-the-planet, granola-eating,
Birkenstock-wearing type of girl—an image
that many people have about people doing
environmentally conscious work.”
“I stumbled upon my new career while
searching for a used mannequin for an art
project for my garden,” Henderson-Townsend,
a former account executive in the health care
and travel industries, recalls.
She ended up buying 50 mannequins on
impulse from someone closing a mannequin
rental business. Having never touched a
mannequin or worked in a retail environment
before, it occurred to Henderson-Townsend
that renting mannequins would be a fun parttime business.
But the move quickly led to a full-time
venture. In 2001, Henderson-Townsend
and her husband, Jay Townsend, formed
Mannequin Madness to sell, rent, and recycle
new and used mannequins to event planners,
trade show vendors, museums, artists, and
independent retailers.
Why recycling? It turns out that retailers
routinely throw mannequins in landfills when
the models are old or broken or if a store
is closing. Because mannequins are made
of materials that do not easily biodegrade,
Henderson-Townsend persuaded major
retailers to let the Townsends collect and
recycle unwanted mannequins.
Though business has been rough the last year
with the recession, Henderson-Townsend
says she knows she’s in the right line of work
and is proud she has helped expand the
notion of what’s recyclable.
Now 52, she admits she wouldn’t have had
the confidence to start Mannequin Madness
when she was younger: “I needed all my
previous work experience to help me launch
and sustain this business.”
ON THE FRONT LINES
Working green
Jim Cassio, co-author of Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future, has a lot to
say about preparing for green work:
Virtually all green
jobs require
some training or
education prior to
employment. Some
may require a Ph.D.
Many others require
a bachelor’s degree.
But there are also
many technical and
skilled positions that
require a training
certificate or one to
two years of college.
There are more
education and
training programs
to choose from,
but no directory
from which to
identify and
compare the
choices. Community
colleges typically
offer some green
classes and
certificate programs,
usually at a very
reasonable cost. But
those classes may
fill quickly, given
the great demand
that currently
exists for green job
training. Universities
have degree and
certificate programs
that are designed
at least in part to
prepare people for
green careers.
expensive—ranging
from $999 for a
single class to several
thousand dollars for
a full program.
INFORMATION
Essential resources
All for Good’s Volunteer Search
allforgood.org
GreenBiz.com’s Green Jobs
Search
jobs.greenbiz.com
Planet Green’s Green Careers
planetgreen.discovery.com/greencareers
Private schools
and training
providers offer
green classes and
programs, and some
are very effective,
but they can also be
Green Jobs: A Guide to
Eco-Friendly Employment
A. Bronwyn Llewellyn, James P.
Hendrix, and K.C. Golden
Careers in Renewable Energy:
Get a Green Energy Job
Gregory McNamee
The Complete Idiot’s Guide
to Green Careers
Barbara Parks and Jodi Helmer
“Green-collar jobs are created across the entire base of the economy, everything from high-end technical
skilled jobs for engineers and architects all the way through to laborers and people who are actually going
to do the solid blue-collar, entry-level jobs in the construction trades.”
Bracken Hendricks senior fellow, Center for American Progress
Encore.org
11
What are the encore
career opportunities
in government?
As the country’s single largest
employer, the federal government
offers jobs across the country and
across vocations, from landscaper
to laboratory scientist.
Look out for more “help wanted” signs in
the near future. Max Stier, president of the
Partnership for Public Service and an expert
in federal hiring trends, predicts that the
federal government will hire 600,000 people
over the next four years. And the U.S. Office
of Personnel Management estimates that
37 percent of the government’s full-time
work force will retire by 2016.
Available jobs run from entry-level to senior
positions in “key areas where the government
has a real need for talent and are vital for the
agencies’ running,” says Leslie Ann Pearson,
senior program manager at the Partnership
and head of its FedExperience program,
which aims to help the government attract
highly qualified boomers.
More people of all ages are seeking federal
jobs, some inspired by President Obama’s
call to service and others by an interest in
stable jobs with good benefits. Base salaries
average $43,900 on the low end and
$56,900 on the high end. Benefits include
health, dental, vision, life, and long-term
care insurance.
The application process for federal jobs
can be an obstacle, acknowledges Pearson.
Though applications vary across agencies,
they contain multiple parts and can take
hours to complete.
It’s crucial to research the procedures
to improve your chances, Pearson says.
Even slight mistakes can disqualify your
application.
And while the federal government has the
greatest reach, state and local governments
are hiring, too. Opportunities, pay, and
benefits vary. You can find your state
department of labor and links to local
governments at statelocalgov.net.
The feds are hiring, says Max Stier
of the Partnership for Public Service.
957,000
PRACTICAL TIPS
The federal job application
Ten tips for filling out a federal job
application, from usajobs.gov, the
official government job site:
1. Use words wisely. Write in an easy,
readable style.
2. Keep sentences clear. Short,
direct sentences get to the point.
3. Make your message stand out.
Keep your paragraphs brief, usually
between five and 10 lines.
4. Focus on outcomes. Discuss the
whats, hows, and breadth of your
experiences.
5. Showcase your role. Did you work
on your own? As part of a team?
As a supervisor?
6. Remember, time frames count.
What were the dates or length of
time you worked on a project or job?
7. Highlight the value of all your
experience. You may have gained
valuable skills through leadership
positions, volunteer work, and other
activities.
8. Show and tell. Telling about
your experience is great, but use
examples, too.
9. Resist additions. Don’t send
copies of awards, publications,
training certificates, letters of
recommendation, writing samples,
or photos unless the agency
specifically asks.
Number of federal employees
who will be eligible to retire
by September 30, 2016.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
10. Don’t repeat your resume.
Spotlight important facts or give
examples that expand on your resume.
profile Sharon Ridings
Sharon Ridings took a gamble.
She forged her career path from banking to the bright lights of the gaming industry.
But she left corporate life to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she is
in charge of training and leadership development.
Ridings’ husband, already a government worker, suggested that she look into a federal job,
but a good friend told her she was too old. “I love a challenge, so I went for it anyway,”
Ridings says. “I don’t like when people tell me that I can’t.”
The application process astounded her: “I’d never seen anything
like that before. I tried to cut it down to its simplest components.
I answered the questions exactly how they were asked.”
Months passed before Ridings got two job offers on the same day,
one from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
and the other from the EPA. She says she took the EPA job because
it was more challenging and she identified with its mission, though
she had to start at a more junior level than her previous position.
“I don’t like
when people
tell me that
I can’t.”
SHARON RIDINGS
Ridings, now 53, says her previous experience served her well when she started at the
EPA in 2000. And now, she feels like she’s helping to further a worthy cause: “The training
that I do is very critical to the agency’s work.”
INFORMATION
INSIDER KNOWLEDGE
Essential resources
Joining the public work force
Career changers have unique concerns coming into the federal government. The Federal
Citizen Information Center offers these suggestions:
Estimate your pay level. The federal government classifies positions according to the
complexity of duties and responsibility level. People qualify for a given level (or “GS,” for
“general schedule”) based on education, experience, or a combination.
help.usajobs.gov/jobseeker/faq (What is my grade?)
Understand job requirements. Vacancy announcements often say that a worker needs
experience equivalent to a particular GS grade. A vacancy announcement at the GS-12
level might require a year of experience at the GS-11 stage. If the work described in the job
announcement is only slightly more complex or responsible than your past work, you might
be eligible.
Be flexible about titles. If you want to be a manager or supervisor, don’t limit yourself to
openings with those words in the job title. Jobs with widely varying levels of responsibility are
often listed under the same title.
Explain past job titles and experience. Use titles that clearly describe what you did
and be specific about your experience. You may want to put the equivalent federal titles in
parentheses.
Consider the Senior Executive Service. If you have substantial experience in high-level
leadership positions, you might qualify for a job helping to lead the federal civilian work force.
opm.gov/ses
429,000
Number of federal workers
55 and older.
Partnership for Public Service
Encore.org
FedJobs’ List of Federal
Job Fairs
fedjobs.com/chat/jobfairs.html
Senior Environmental
Employment Program
seeprogram.org
Work for America, from
CareerBuilder.com
workforamerica.com
The Everything Guide to
Government Jobs: A Complete
Handbook to Hundreds of
Lucrative Opportunities across
the Nation James Mannion
Ten Steps to a Federal Job: How
to Land a Job in the Obama
Administration Kathryn Troutman
How to Land a Top-Paying
Federal Job: Your Complete
Guide to Opportunities,
Internships, Resumes and
Cover Letters, Application
Essays (KSAs), Interviews,
Salaries, Promotions and More!
Lily Whiteman
12
What are the
options for striking
out on my own?
Get into self-reflection mode. Do you find it hard to seek
or take advice? Are you unable to make hard
decisions about money? Are you a
risk-taker?
the skills and mindset that you don’t to help you. “People—
especially women—are very prone, pathologically prone,
to underestimating their own strengths,” she says.
Reinhold tells of a friend who started two socially
responsible businesses that failed. The
entrepreneur had a hard time managing
the money and, overall, balancing too
many roles. Reinhold told her that
she needed to collaborate with
people whose talents
supported hers.
“You really need to understand
the personality you bring into this
venture,” says Barbara Reinhold,
career coach and former director
of Smith College’s Career
Development Office.
Reinhold suggests this exercise: Make a list. On
the left, detail everything you know and care about
doing. On the right, identify potential consumers.
“It becomes clear when they’ve written all this down
where the passion is and who might pay something for it,”
says Reinhold, author of Free to Succeed: Designing the Life
You Want in the New Free Agent Economy.
Now, she advises, identify the holes, the parts of your personality
that could jeopardize a new enterprise, and enlist people who have
ON THE FRONT LINES
Now with a partner who has a banking
background, Reinhold says, the woman
is building support from local government and
business leaders for a consultancy or nonprofit that would
train low-income women to repair windows on historic buildings,
boosting energy efficiency.
When considering your own undertaking, Reinhold
says, explore the alternatives. Do you hope to be
an independent consultant? Do you want to start
a nonprofit? Do you have an idea for a for-profit
endeavor with a social purpose?
What does it take?
Social entrepreneurs take initiative and create nonprofit or for-profit ventures for the greater good. Can you count yourself among them?
The Skoll Foundation describes social
entrepreneurs as:
Ambitious. They tackle major social issues,
from increasing the college enrollment rate
of low-income students to fighting poverty
in developing countries.
Mission-driven. Generating social
value—not wealth—is the central criterion
of a successful social entrepreneur.
Strategic. Social entrepreneurs see and
act upon what others miss: opportunities
to improve systems, create solutions,
and invent new approaches that create
social value.
Resourceful. Social entrepreneurs must
be exceptionally skilled at mustering and
mobilizing human, financial, and political
resources.
Results-oriented. Social entrepreneurs
open new pathways for the marginalized
and disadvantaged and unlock society’s
potential to effect social change.
“Before you run off and do something you’ll regret, take a deep breath and think about what you need to
launch your enterprise successfully. If you don’t have enough information and market research to point
you in the right direction, now’s the time to get it.”
Jan Norman author, What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business: Real-Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs
profile Gordon Johnson
Gordon Johnson decided to change
the system.
During a decades-long career protecting
abused and neglected children, he had seen
families torn apart in a system of foster care
that too often made things worse.
“Focus less on
making money
and more on
satisfying
a personal
goal.”
GORDON JOHNSON
Even as chief of Illinois’ Department of Child
and Family Services, Johnson knew that to
change the system he had to leave it. Having
led the state agency and a Chicago nonprofit
serving at-risk families, he felt ready to
make the move.
“These experiences gave me the confidence
I needed to set up my own nonprofit,” says
Johnson, now 76. “I would not have done
it, however, without the full emotional and
monetary support of my wife, Deloris.”
By pooling their resources, the pair was able
to come up with the start-up funding for
Neighbor To Family.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Working your idea
With a million and a half nonprofits in the United States, how will you know
whether the one you want to start is unique enough to thrive? The National
Council of Nonprofits identifies some first steps:
Get help. It takes more than a solo founder
to keep a nonprofit alive. Having lots of
people willing to help—such as board
members and volunteers—can signal broad
community support.
File paperwork. Initial filings
generally involve incorporating at the
state level; securing federal tax-exempt
status; and filing operational paperwork
at the state and local levels.
Determine feasibility. Develop detailed
business and strategic plans that include
mission, organizational structure, budget,
fundraising, marketing, governance, and
staffing.
Find quality professional assistance.
Seek an attorney or accountant who has
experience working with nonprofits.
INFORMATION
Consider other options. Instead of
starting a nonprofit, think about sharing
your idea with an existing organization
or volunteering to create your idea as a
new program.
Essential resources
Johnson formed the nonprofit foster care
agency in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1998.
The organization focuses on keeping
siblings together, while providing quality
care. Johnson’s innovation: providing foster
parents a salary and benefits for full-time
parenting and accountability.
Neighbor To Family has opened shop in five
other states—Georgia, Maryland, North
Carolina, Texas, and Virginia—with programs
pending in Ohio, Washington, and Nevada.
Johnson’s advice to those starting out:
“Focus less on making money and more on
satisfying a personal goal or mission. Start
small; many nonprofits fail in the first two
years because they attempt too much.
When you lack a necessary expertise, reach
out to others.
“Take your time to make sure your first
steps are in the right direction, and finally,
be persistent.”
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas David Bornstein
Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek
The Nonprofit Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run Your Nonprofit Organization Gary M. Grobman
Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide Bruce R. Hopkins
Finding the Sweet Spot: The Natural Entrepreneur’s Guide to Responsible, Sustainable, Joyful Work Dave Pollard
1.5
Number, in millions, of nonprofits in
the United States.
National Center for Charitable Statistics
52%
Encore.org
of small businesses are home based.
U.S. Small Business Administration
Learn more. Share your story.
Join the movement.
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